Bragging Rights

Sir Michael Stoute holds the record of most winners of York’s G2 Betfred Middleton S., and it would come as no surprise to see Freemason Lodge celebrating a seventh on Thursday with the progressive Bragging (Exchange Rate). Brought out just 11 days after her comeback win in the nine-furlong G3 Dahlia S. at Newmarket, Khalid Abdullah’s bay has obviously given all the right signals for her trainer to make such an uncharacteristic move in backing her up. 
Penalized for their top-level wins in 2014, Elite Racing Club’s G1 Prix Jean Romanet heroine Ribbons (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) and Kirsten Rausing’s G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. scorer Madame Chiang (GB) (Archipenko) both need the ground not to dry out further. The latter won over this course and distance in the G3 Musidora S. when it was soft 12 months ago and her two efforts before Champions Day–when 10th in the G1 Epsom Oaks in June and sixth in the G1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp in September–came on ground with no ease in it. 

“She looks terrific and has done very well from three to four,” trainer David Simcock commented. “We may not see her at her best at a mile and a quarter on this ground with a penalty, but we have to start somewhere and the main objective for the first part of the season is the G1 Pretty Polly S. [at The Curragh June 28]. She’s got a great top gear, but it’s getting there that takes a little while so she might need soft ground over this trip.” 

It will be interesting to see what Qatar Racing Ltd and Newsells Park Stud’s Secret Gesture (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) can achieve this year, having looked to plateau in 2014 despite sound efforts when second in this race and in the G2 York S. over the same track and trip.